20210505 The Ecstatic Ornaments Decorating the Body of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on May 5th,2021 in Śrī Dhāma Māyāpur, India.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Dear Devotees! Today we will continue with the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book. Today's chapter is entitled as:

The Ecstatic Ornaments Decorating the Body of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.183

prabhu-praśnottare svarūpera śrī-rādhāra ‘vilāsa’-bhāva-varṇana:—

‘vilāsādi’-bhāva-bhūṣāra kaha ta’ lakṣaṇa
yei bhāve rādhā hare govindera mana?

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then asked Svarūpa Dāmodara, “Please speak of the ecstatic ornaments decorating the body of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, by which She enchants the mind of Śrī Govinda.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu wants to understand what are the ecstatic ornaments on the body of Radharani which attract the mind of Lord Krsna.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.184

svarūpera varṇanārambha; bhaktagaṇera sukha:—

tabe ta’ svarūpa-gosāñi kahite lāgilā
śuni’ prabhura bhakta-gaṇa mahā-sukha pāilā

Translation: Being thus requested, Svarūpa Dāmodara began to speak. All the devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu were very happy to hear him.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.185

rādhā vasi’ āche, kibā vṛndāvane yāya
tāhāṅ yadi ācambite kṛṣṇa-daraśana pāya

Translation: “Sometimes when Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is sitting or when She is going to Vṛndāvana, She sees Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.186

dekhite nānā-bhāva haya vilakṣaṇa
se vailakṣaṇyera nāma ’vilāsa’-bhūṣaṇa

Translation: “The symptoms of various ecstasies that become manifest at that time are called vilāsa.

Purport: This is described in the following verse, taken from the Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi (Anubhāva-prakaraṇa 39).

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.187

ujjvala-nīlamaṇite anubhāvakathane (67)—

gati-sthānāsanādīnāṁ
mukha-netrādi-karmaṇām
tātkālikaṁ tu vaiśiṣṭyaṁ
vilāsaḥ priya-saṅga-jam

Translation: “‘The various symptoms manifested in a woman’s face, eyes and the other parts of her body and the way she moves, stands or sits when she meets her beloved are called vilāsa.’”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.188

lajjā, harṣa, abhilāṣa, sambhrama, vāmya, bhaya
eta bhāva mili’ rādhāya cañcala karaya

Translation: Svarūpa Dāmodara said, “Timidity, jubilation, ambition, respect, fear and the characteristics of the left-wing gopīs are all ecstatic symptoms that combine to agitate Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.

Purport: This is explained in the following verse, which is found in the Govinda-līlāmṛta (9.11).

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.189

Govinda Līlāmṛta (9.11)—

puraḥ kṛṣṇālokāt sthagita-kuṭilāsyā gatir abhūt
tiraścīnaṁ kṛṣṇāmbara-dara-vṛtaṁ śrī-mukham api

calat-tāraṁ sphāraṁ nayana-yugam ābhugnam iti sā
vilāsākhya-svālaṅkaraṇa-valitāsīt priya-mude

Translation: “‘When Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī saw Lord Kṛṣṇa just before Her, Her progress stopped and She assumed an attitude of opposition. Although Her face was slightly covered by a blue garment, Her two starry eyes were agitated, being wide and curved. Thus She was decorated with the ornaments of vilāsa, and Her beauty increased to give pleasure to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.’

Jayapatākā Swami: So, often Rādhārāṇī would be experiencing different ecsatsies of love of Kṛṣṇa that would also increase the ecstasy of Lord Kṛṣṇa and He would become very pleased experiencing the loving ecstasies of Rādhārāṇī.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.190

kṛṣṇa-āge rādhā yadi rahe dāṇḍāñā
tina-aṅga-bhaṅge rahe bhrū nācāñā

Translation: “When Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī stands before Kṛṣṇa, She stands bent in three places — Her neck, waist and legs — and Her eyebrows dance.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.191

mukhe-netre haya nānā-bhāvera udgāra
ei kāntā-bhāvera nāma ‘lalita’-alaṅkāra

Translation: “When there is an awakening of the various ecstatic features on Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s face and in Her eyes that are appropriate to a charming feminine attitude, the lalita ornament is manifest.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, lalita is one of the ornaments of conjugal relationship which Rādhārāṇī expresses

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.192

ujjvala-nīlamaṇite anubhāvakathane (75)—

vinyāsa-bhaṅgir aṅgānāṁ
bhrū-vilāsa-manoharā
sukumārā bhaved yātrā 
lalitaṁ tad udāhṛtam

Translation: “‘When the bodily features are delicate and expertly curved, and when the eyebrows are very beautifully agitated, the ornament of feminine charm, called lalita-alaṅkāra, is manifest.’

Purport: This verse is from the Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi (Anubhāvaprakaraṇa 51).

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.193

lalita-bhūṣita rādhā dekhe yadi kṛṣṇa
duṅhe duṅhā milibāre hayena satṛṣṇa

Translation: “When Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa happens to see Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī decorated with these lalita ornaments, They both eagerly want to meet each other.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.194

Govinda Līlāmṛta (914)—

hriyā tiryag-grīvā-caraṇa-kaṭi-bhaṅgī-sumadhurā
calac-cillī-vallī-dalita-ratināthorjita-dhanuḥ

priya-premollāsollasita-lalitālālita-tanuḥ
priya-prītyai sāsīd udita-lalitālaṅkṛti-yutā

Translation: “‘When Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī was decorated with the ornament of lalita-alaṅkāra, just to increase Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s love, an attractive curve was manifested by Her neck, knees and waist. This was brought about by Her timidity and apparent desire to avoid Kṛṣṇa. The flickering movements of Her eyebrows could conquer the powerful bow of Cupid. To increase the joy of Her beloved, Her body was decorated with the ornaments of lalita-alaṅkāra.’

Purport: This verse is quoted from the Govinda-līlāmṛta (9.14).

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.195

lobhe āsi’ kṛṣṇa kare kañcukākarṣaṇa
antare ullāsa, rādhā kare nivāraṇa

Translation: “When Kṛṣṇa comes forward and greedily snatches at the border of Her sari, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is actually very pleased within, but still She tries to stop Him.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.196

bāhire vāmatā-krodha, bhitare sukha mane
‘kuṭṭamita’-nāma ei bhāva-vibhūṣaṇe

Translation: “This ecstatic attitude of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s is called kuṭṭamita. When this ecstatic ornament is manifested, Rādhārāṇī externally tries to avoid Kṛṣṇa, and She apparently becomes angry, although She is very happy within.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, each of these ecstatic ornaments of Rādhārāṇī Lalitā, kuṭṭamita are seemingly contradictory but they are very attractive to Lord Kṛṣṇa who is the enjoyer of all these rasas.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.197

ujjvala-nīlamaṇite anubhāvaprakaraṇe (49)—

stanādharādi-grahaṇe
hṛt-prītāv api sambhramāt

bahiḥ krodho vyathita-vat
proktaṁ kuṭṭamitaṁ budhaiḥ

Translation: “‘When the border of Her sari and the cloth veiling Her face are caught, She externally appears offended and angry, but within Her heart She is very happy. Learned scholars call this attitude kuṭṭamita.’

Purport: This is a quotation from the Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi (Anubhāva-prakaraṇa 44).

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.198

kṛṣṇa-vāñchā pūrṇa haya, kare pāṇi-rodha
antare ānanda rādhā, bāhire vāmya-krodha

Translation: “Although Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī was checking Kṛṣṇa with Her hand, internally She was thinking, ‘Let Kṛṣṇa satisfy His desires.’ In this way She was very pleased within, although She externally displayed opposition and anger.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.199

vyathā pāñā’ kare yena śuṣka rodana
īṣat hāsiyā kṛṣṇe karena bhartsana

Translation: “Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī externally displays a kind of dry crying, as if She is offended. Then She mildly smiles and admonishes Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the various loving ecstasies of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī are being analyzed here and how these complicated relationships give Kṛṣṇa tremendous pleasure.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.200

gosvāmipādokta-śloka:—

pāṇi-rodham avirodhita-vāñchaṁ
bhartsanāś ca madhura-smita-garbhāḥ

mādhavasya kurute karabhorur
hāri śuṣka-ruditaṁ ca mukhe ’pi

Translation: “‘Actually She has no desire to stop Kṛṣṇa’s endeavor to touch Her body with His hands, yet Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, whose thighs are like the trunk of a baby elephant, protests His advances and, sweetly smiling, admonishes Him. At such times She cries without tears on Her charming face.’

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.201

ei-mata āra saba bhāva-vibhūṣaṇa
yāhāte bhūṣita rādhā hare kṛṣṇa mana

Translation: “In this way, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is ornamented and decorated with various ecstatic symptoms, which attract the mind of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, how Kṛṣṇa's mind is attracted is being expressed here. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is enjoying these discussions, this is very esoteric, it shows the subtle nature of the exchanges between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.202

sahasramukheo śeṣarūpī viṣṇura kṛṣṇa-līlā varṇane asāmarthya

ananta kṛṣṇera līlā nā yāya varṇana
āpane varṇena yadi ’sahasra-vadana’

Translation: “It is not at all possible to describe the unlimited pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, even though He Himself describes them in His incarnation of Sahasra-vadana, the thousand-mouthed Śeṣa Nāga.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the intricacies of exchanges between Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa are so detailed that even if the thousand headed Ananta Śeṣa with all His mouths vibrating at same time is not able to fully express all the pastimes and exchanges of the Lord, what to speak of anyone else!

Thus ends the chapter entitled, The Ecstatic Ornaments Decorating the Body of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.